Arizona Golf House serves as the headquarters for several golf nonprofits, including Cactus & Pine GCSA. Photo courtesy of Kyle Zirkus Photography
A third-generation golf course superintendent, Ernie Pock and his family have witnessed a lot — but nothing like this.
This month is the one-year anniversary for the opening of Arizona Golf House. The state-of-the-art facility in Phoenix serves as the hub of golf in the state. The allied golf associations (including Cactus & Pine GCSA) use the 14,000-square-foot AGH as their home.
“Each entity of golf is under one roof now. The game is bigger than all of us. This is a way to get everybody on the same page,” says Pock, a GCSAA 34-year association member and Class A director of agronomy at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz., where he has run the facility since 2000 after he stepped in when his father, Mike, departed.
AGH considers this “a strategic investment in the future of golf as a vital economic engine for our state.” Industries with impact are involved, a collaboration dedicated to strengthening one of Arizona’s most impactful industries — golf — which in Arizona generates billions of dollars in economic activity.
Thousands of jobs are created by the sport, and the new home of golf in Arizona unites the local golf nonprofits to serve communities, advance research, champion sustainability and promote an industry deeply woven into Arizona’s economy, environment and identity. The golf nonprofits who call the AGH home are the leaders of a critical industry that provides 66,000 local jobs by adding $6 billion each year to Arizona’s economy. Each year golf generates more than $100 million in fundraising for Arizona charities.
The mission statement at Cactus & Pine GCSA, overseen by Executive Director Carmella Ruggiero, is a perfect fit at AGH: “Cactus & Pine GCSA is dedicated to enhancing the professional recognition of its members through education, leadership, collaboration, government relations and environmental stewardship. To represent, advocate and educate for the environmental and economic well-being of the golf industry and to be a diverse alliance recognized as a unified voice for the business of the turfgrass industry in Arizona.” Arizona golf course superintendents and their courses are vital to Arizona. Golf-related water use is only 2% of daily statewide use. Golf courses use 35% reclaimed water for overall irrigation use, with 45% of facilities statewide using reclaimed in some fashion.
Sharing what his industry does makes Matt Rusch, Cactus & Pine GCSA president, proud.
“The whole idea behind (the AGH), all entities in one spot, is pretty amazing. We can collaborate there rather than just exchanging emails,” says Rusch, a 17-year association member and GCSAA Class A director of agronomy at The Thompson Group who is stationed at Powell Ranch Golf Club in Gilbert, Ariz. “We’re (AGH) centrally located, which is so nice to have at our disposal. The concept is awesome, a cool concept.”
Another benefit, besides the perk of a nice restaurant, Rusch says, is “a meeting space for 220 to hold seminars. We can hold our spring meeting there. It’s just the convenience of it. What makes our chapter special? We’re the backbone of the industry. We’re good water managers being in Arizona, being the best we can by reducing turf in the state that brings in millions in revenue for golf. What we do is important.”
Located adjacent to Papago Golf Course in Phoenix, AGH features multiple nonprofit tenants dedicated to teaching golf, including promotion of tournaments ranging from beginners to professionals. AGH’s diverse array of local nonprofit golf tenants is dedicated to teaching golf and the many positive values inherent to the game. They govern the sport and conduct tournaments and programming across the state. They operate Arizona’s golf courses in economically beneficial and ecologically responsible ways that make them industry innovators.
AGH unites the local golf nonprofit community to maximize the ability of each organization to serve the public and to ensure the vibrant future of golf as an economic driver. AGH facilitates workforce development, career placement, education and research. It connects economic opportunities to Arizonans through real-world training, internships and other career development services. Tenants will work with Arizona State University, Grand Canyon University and Northern Arizona University to grow internships in wide-ranging trades, including turfgrass management, nonprofit associations, hospitality, tourism and others.
Open to the public, AGH’s visionaries, led by Arizona Alliance for Golf founder Gregg Tryhus, was built in collaboration of the Alliance, Arizona State University, Arizona Golf Community Foundation and the City of Phoenix. Listening to Pock, it sounds as if AGH is a magic kingdom in the desert. “It’s just a good space for everybody,” he says. “It’s a positive way for our industry to speak as one group for golf.”
Howard Richman is GCM's associate editor